PAST WINNERS
Student Opportunity Fund Past Winners
| Year | Campus | Grant Title | Project Summary | Award Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 Spring | Allison Elementary School | Space Center Houston Visit for 5th grade students | Funding for 5th grade students to take a field trip to the Space Center Houston where they will continue to learn about STEAM concepts and prepare them for middle and high school programs. | $5,100.00 |
| 2020 Spring | Blazier Elementary School | Kindergarten Play | Supporting kindergarten students as they build fine motor skills and learning through play. | $1,550.00 |
| 2020 Spring | Burnet Middle School | Mariachi Program boost | Jumpstart a middle school Mariachi program by providing funds for instruments and uniforms (trajes) that will help build culture across the school community. | $6,667.00 |
| 2020 Spring | Eastside Memorial High School | Native Garden PBL | Supporting an environmental science project-based learning (PBL) unit that increases biodiversity at school and culminates with students designing and building several native gardens across the campus. | $2,500.00 |
| 2020 Spring | Galindo Elementary School | SEL Mentor Texts for Dual Language 2nd Graders | Providing accessible, engaging, SEL and growth-mindset focused read aloud books in both English and Spanish to make SEL concepts more tangible for English Language Learners. | $475.00 |
| 2020 Spring | Galindo Elementary School | 5th Grade Galindo Grizzlies Reach for the Stars and Beyond at NASA | Providing an enriching learning experience for 5th grade students to visit the NASA Space Center in Houston that will support STEAM-based activities as they launch their Green and Global initiatives. | $5,700.00 |
| 2020 Spring | Jordan Elementary School | Public Art Murals at Barbara Jordan Elementary | Creating a public art space, in partnership with SprATX, for the entire school community to enjoy while increasing student access to potential careers in art. | $6,000.00 |
| 2020 Spring | Linder Elementary School | LINDER ROBOTICS Soaring to NEW HEIGHTS | Starting a robotics program that will provide students opportunities to problem-solve, think creatively, and compete as a team, while also creating a welcoming environment for new students who will be transitioning from campuses previously impacted by school closures. | $4,900.00 |
| 2020 Spring | Northeast High School | Autonomous Vehicles in Flint, Michigan! | Supporting a high school robotics team as they compete in Square One’s Autonomous Innovative Vehicle Design (AIVD) competition at Kettering University in Flint, Michigan. | $5,000.00 |
| 2020 Spring | Odom Elementary School | Off to College | Supporting AVID at an elementary campus by increase our students exposure to various college opportunities that exist in and out of the Austin Area, including a trip to UTSA. | $3,000.00 |
| 2020 Spring | Paredes Middle School | Closing the Gap through Music Education- UT Longhorn Music Camp Band Scholarship | Providing middle school students with an authentic post-secondary experience at the Longhorn Music Camp at the University of Texas in Austin, where they will experience the life of a college music student, performing alongside band students from across the state. | $3,475.00 |
| 2020 Spring | Sanchez Elementary School | Break the Summer Reading Slide | Supporting an elementary campus as they work to interrupt the "Summer Reading Slide" among K-2 students by providing book bags for each student to read over the summer months. | $2,500.00 |
| 2020 Spring | Travis Heights Elementary School | Crowe's Nest Farm Field Trip | Bringing science to life for elementary students by funding a trip to Crowe's Nest Farm where they will experience hands-on science with knowledgeable educators and engaging activities that cannot be accessed in the classroom. | $820.00 |
| 2020 Spring | Uphaus Early Childhood Center | And The Winner Is...! | Expanding the school library collection with recently published, award winning high-quality literature that is appealing, diverse, and inclusive for all students, staff, and families. | $450.00 |
| 2020 Spring | Wooten Elementary School | Falling in Love with STEM through Real World Experiences | Supporting real-world STEM learning with engaging experiences to LEGO Land in San Antonio and GattiTown in Austin. | $2,465.00 |
| 2019 Spring | Dobie Pre-K Center | Read "Mo" Books! | Funding a contribution of books to the school library written by Mo Willems in order to provide students more access to everyone's favorite author and series. | $526.00 |
| 2019 Spring | Eastside Memorial High School | Literacy Matters | Providing all students access to more high interest, culturally-relevant, and linguistically appropriate books that students want to read in order to build a stronger reading culture on campus. | $2,500.00 |
| 2019 Spring | Harris Elementary School | Sea-ing a New World | Our project is to help students gain new experiences and learn more about marine ecosystems, life cycles, and biology in an engaging and exciting way. We want to help fund a trip to go to SeaWorld at the end of the school as a final learning experience to finish our unit of marine life science. | $2,000.00 |
| 2019 Spring | LBJ High School | Houston Arts District Field Trip | Providing students in the art program with an immersive experience inside the Houston Arts District while exploring the museum district, including MFAH, The Center for Contemporary Craft, and The Menil Collection. | $3,275.00 |
| 2019 Spring | Martin Middle School | IAMartin - Enriching Experiences In STEAM Careers 2019 | Enriching 8th grade Innovation Academy students with an engaging field trip experience to explore STEM careers at Space Center Houston and experience life as a student the University of Houston. | $2,545.00 |
| 2019 Spring | Paredes Middle School | Instrumental Masterclass Program | Supporting the Instrumental Masterclass Project which will provide all instrumentalists in band classes with authentic experiences and interactions with masters of their instrument in order to gain specialized tools needed for further success at the individual and ensemble level. | $2,000.00 |
| 2019 Spring | Rodriguez Elementary School | Call for the Instruments | Funding the integration of high-quality instruments and enriching activities that foster a more meaningful musical experience in the classroom. | $5,100.00 |
| 2019 Spring | Sadler Means Young Women's Leadership Academy | Cheer Camp Time | Supporting a growing cheerleading program by providing opportunities for the team to enroll in a cheer camp where participants strengthen routines and stunting, as well as build leadership and collaborative skills. | $1,860.00 |
| 2019 Spring | Sanchez Elementary School | Career Awareness for Sanchez Students | Supporting the Schools that Work career awareness component by providing 4th and 5th grade students with an opportunity to learn more about STEM careers through a day-long experience at Space Center Houston. | $8,000.00 |
| 2019 Spring | St. Elmo Elementary School | McKinney Roughs Overnight Camping Learning Trip for 5th graders | Providing 5th grade students with the outdoor field trip overnight to McKinney Roughs for students to participate in academic, physical, and social activities while camping. | $3,000.00 |
| 2019 Spring | Travis High School | Senior College Survival Kits | Funding the creation of college survival kits for 60 seniors who come from underrepresented backgrounds and will be first-generation college students attending a junior college or university as they pursue a bachelor's degree. | $3,660.00 |
| 2019 Spring | Widen Elementary School | Seeing outside of Austin - Field trips in the upper grades | Funding enriching opportunities for 4th and 5th graders to venture to the Alamo in a culminating activity for Texas History, and to seekout adventures and cultivate team building at Camp Champions. | $3,500.00 |
| 2019 Fall | AISD AVID Department | Off to a Running Start: Supporting AVID Middle School Students | Ensuring all middle school students in AVID are college ready by taking the PSAT exam in 8th grade no matter their financial status. | $4,752.00 |
| 2019 Fall | Akins High School | Real World Criminal Justice Experience | Providing students in the Criminal Justice program funding to participate in real-world experiences outside the classroom walls through various competitions and use-of-force scenarios. | $1,500.00 |
| 2019 Fall | Becker Elementary School | It Takes a Village | Exposing a targeted group of 5th grade students to culturally rich experiences and opportunities across the City of Austin, which also promote increased community engagement and relationship-building. | $1,074.00 |
| 2019 Fall | Blazier Elementary School | Lets Build a Community of Readers for the Future! | Fostering a love of reading in a dual-language kindergarten classroom by expanding the collection of mentor texts available for students to explore. | $1,438.00 |
| 2019 Fall | Brooke Elementary School | Learning to Invest in Our Natural Self | Providing teachers and staff with the appropriate Social & Emotional Learning tools that help navigate Brooke Elementary students through the school changes process and enhance existing morning circles in the classroom. | $645.00 |
| 2019 Fall | Casey Elementary School | ROX (Ruling Our eXperiences) Empowerment Program for Girls | Empowering 4th and 5th grade girls to address the social challenges and societal pressures they face everyday through an established ROX program curriculum. | $3,990.00 |
| 2019 Fall | Dawson Elementary School | A Trip to Remember | Providing students with special needs the opportunity to attend a field trip to Morgan's Wonderland where they can engage in all aspects of the all-inclusive amusement park without limitations. | $1,497.00 |
| 2019 Fall | Dawson Elementary School | Community Experiences for Dawson Pre-K and ECSE | Providing Pre-K and special education students with opportunities to attend field trips where they can explore the City of Austin as it relates to their thematic units in the classroom. | $2,850.00 |
| 2019 Fall | Dobie Middle School | Dobie/Northeast Orchestra reboot | Supporting the expansion and alignment of an Orchestra program for middle and high school students by providing each student with their own instruments, while individualizing instruction through a partnership with Austin SoundWaves. | $10,000.00 |
| 2019 Fall | Eastside Memorial High School | Research and Education Activities for Community Health (REACH) | Increasing awareness of community health research among minority and underserved populations in the neighborhoods of East Austin. | $3,500.00 |
| 2019 Fall | Martin Middle School | AP Test Funding for Spanish College Credit | Ensuring students have the opportunity to earn college credit by registering and taking the Spanish AP test while in middle school. | $1,000.00 |
| 2019 Fall | Perez Elementary School | Read. Write. Lead! | Creating a student section in the library where student-authors can publish their own writing and student-authored books can be checked out by fellow classmates. | $4,110.00 |
| 2019 Fall | Travis High School | Travis ECHS Social Studies Department Creative Learning Field Trips | Providing students with the opportunity to attend a Creative Learning Initiative field trip to the Blanton Art Museum where they will explore society and art, as well a tour the UT campus through the lens of college readiness. | $2,800.00 |
| 2019 Fall | Walnut Creek Elementary School | Gettin' Diggy With It | Providing all 2nd grade students with the opportunity to attend a one-of-a-kind expedition where they will explore STEM careers through an archaeological dig. | $520.00 |
| 2018 Spring | AISD Library Media Services | The 5 Book Dive Presents: The 2018 Summer Reading Splash | Supporting AISD's Summer Reading Programs focused on increasing reading opportunities for 3rd-5th graders at Title 1 schools, where students and families attend a Summer Reading Celebration to meet award winning authors and take home free books! | $7,500.00 |
| 2018 Spring | Dobie Pre-K Center | You Are What You Read | Funding an updated and expanded collection of diverse books in Spanish, Arabic, and Mandarin languages for pre-school students in order to develop their identity and sense of self worth by seeing themselves represented in stories. | $1,000.00 |
| 2018 Spring | Eastside Memorial High School | Educational SPEAR Project | Providing field trips to Historically Black Colleges and Universities for students who participate in an in-depth program that prepares and supports mostly students of color through the college admission process. | $5,000.00 |
| 2018 Spring | Guerrero Thompson Elementary School | Camp Champions | Supporting a 5th grade field trip to Camp Champions by funding 10 scholarships for economically disadvantaged students. | $1,600.00 |
| 2018 Spring | Harris Elementary School | Building Future Engineers | Providing an opportunity for 3rd grade students to attend a field trip to the Bob Bullock Museum to view "Dream Big: Engineering Our World" in order to expose students to career opportunities in engineering. | $650.00 |
| 2018 Spring | LBJ High School | Project: Be The Change | Supporting mostly (would-be) first-generation college students in the AVID program by exposing them to colleges and universities through field trips during the school year and summer to explore local opportunities. | $5,000.00 |
| 2018 Spring | Metz Elementary School | The Outdoor School for Metz | Providing 5th grade students with an opportunity to participate in an outdoor field trip overnight where students collaborate on educational and team building activities. | $2,000.00 |
| 2018 Spring | Palm Elementary School | Palm Learns Outside | Supporting an outdoor field trip to Camp Champions for 70 5th grade students where they build trust, experience teamwork, and develop critical thinking skills. | $1,470.00 |
| 2018 Spring | Reilly Elementary School | The Outdoor School Field Trip | Providing 5th grade students with the annual outdoor field trip to Camp Champions for students to participate in academic, physical and social activities. | $2,000.00 |
| 2018 Spring | Uphaus Early Childhood Center | Uphaus Take Home and Keep Forever Books | Supplying Bilingual Spanish books for students to take home, coupled with parent workshops on literacy and math to help their children over the summer prevent summer slide. | $1,050.00 |
| 2018 Fall | Alternative Learning Center | Pathways to Higher Education | Supporting the Pathways to Higher Education Series, high school students have opportunities to attend campus visits to colleges and universities both inside and beyond the Austin city limits. | $2,000.00 |
| 2018 Fall | Blazier Elementary School | Current Events Non-Fiction Reading Resources for Dual Language | Engaging students' reading skills through full-color non-language magazines in both English & Spanish. | $375.00 |
| 2018 Fall | Dobie Pre-K | Pre-K Experiences | Funding real-world experiences for Pre-K4 student including swim lessons at YMCA, exploring STEM concepts at The Thinkery, agricultural ideas at Crow's Nest Farm, and expanding their creativity at The Magik Theatre. | $2,500.00 |
| 2018 Fall | Galindo Elementary School | Wishing for Wish Girl | Preparing 4th graders to take the STAAR writing test by inviting an author to conduct 2 writing workshops in conjuction with a book study. | $1,290.00 |
| 2018 Fall | Graham Elementary School | Social Studies on the Go! | Funding community-based field trips for 4th graders that are related to grade-level texts, where students learn about the local resources, gathering information, and how to use that information in their own lives. | $3,250.00 |
| 2018 Fall | Guerrero Thompson Elementary School | Support Student Reading Choice With Engaging Library Books | Funding the update and expansion of the Library collection with a focus on fiction stories, STEM-related topics, and texts written in Spanish. | $490.00 |
| 2018 Fall | Lanier High School | Scenario Lab | Funding the construction of a Scenario Lab that would offer intense hands-on learning experiences made possible by a collaboration between the Criminal Justice and Construction programs. | $4,345.00 |
| 2018 Fall | Mendez Middle School | Building a STEM Culture at Mendez Middle School | Providing 6th grade students the opportunity to learn experientially, develop STEM skills, and participate in a STEM competition event, while supporting the school's transformation into a T-STEM academy. | $5,000.00 |
| 2018 Fall | Sadler Means Young Women's Leadership Academy | Connecting YWLA Girls From Capital to Capital | Funding a History-focused field trip for 8th grade students to travel to Washington D.C. where they will explore national monuments and Georgetown University. | $5,750.00 |
| 2017 Fall | AISD High Schools | Bus Passes for Students | Providing bus passes for low-SES students who need to stay late for extracurriculars, or who transferred and lack transport, at targeted campuses. | $3,000.00 |
| 2017 Fall | Austin High School | McDonald Observatory Field Trip | Supporting scholarships for students to participate in an overnight field trip to the McDonald Observatory. | $1,500.00 |
| 2017 Fall | Bowie High School | Project College Credit for Bulldogs | Supporting Advanced Placement Exam Fees for low-SES students to earn college credit. | $2,300.00 |
| 2017 Fall | Burnet Middle School | Burnet Uniform Fund | Funding for student uniforms to help support a learning focused environment and build confidence for students. | $9,592.00 |
| 2017 Fall | Garcia Young Men's Leadership Academy | Advancing Academic Achievement | Supporting equipment and support personnel for academic enrichment opportunities for students participating in academic UIL competitions, UIL & independent chess competitions. | $8,790.00 |
| 2017 Fall | Govalle Elementary School | Inspiring Students to Dream Big and Beyond | Supporting an all-year peer academic and social-emotional support group program with culminating 2 day field study experience. | $8,160.00 |
| 2017 Fall | Guerrero Thompson Elementary School | Book Swap | Providing books for student home libraries to ensure all students have access to compelling literature at home. | $440.00 |
| 2017 Fall | Harris Elementary School | Science Near and Far | Bringing science field experiences to campus through hosting mobile planetarium programming. | $1,500.00 |
| 2017 Fall | Kealing Middle School | Kealing Hornet Goal-Achievement Incentive Program | Supporing a student led incentive program to encourage improvement in academics, attendance, and behavior for Academy students. | $2,000.00 |
| 2017 Fall | Martin Middle School | A Pathway to Audio/Visual Media | Supplying the new Audio/Visual Media classes with equipment to ensure students are able to explore Photography and Media careerpaths through hands-on experience with proper equipment. | $9,998.00 |
| 2017 Fall | Martin Middle School | IAMartin Enriching Experiences in STEAM Careers | Supporting capstone project materials and field trip for the 8th grade Innovation Academy cohort to have real-world experiences and challenges in STEAM fields. | $2,949.00 |
| 2016 Fall | AISD Refugee Services | Refugee Student and Family Support | Funding native-language academic tutoring and bilingual dictionaries for refugee students across the district to support their academic, social, cultural, and language transition to Austin ISD. | $14,500.00 |
| 2016 Fall | Akins High School | Keep Austin Teaching Conference Support | Funding registration and travel expenses for Ready Set Teach students who have qualified for the regional Texas Association of Future Educators competition in Arlington. | $2,480.00 |
| 2016 Fall | Garcia Young Men's Leadership Academy | Student-Led Incentives for Brotherhood Accountability | Funding incentive-based field trips earned via student-developed benchmarks for improved academics, behavior, and attendance. | $6,300.00 |
| 2016 Fall | Lanier High School | Lanier WiFi Hotspots | Purchasing library sets of mobile WiFi hotspots and accompanying devices to ensure Lanier High School students have opportunities to do online research and schoolwork at home. | $4,200.00 |
| 2016 Fall | Mendez Middle School | Maverick Green STEM Launch | Supporting quality STEM-focused field trips, digital cameras, and creation of a Community Garden as part of new signature STEM academy. | $11,988.00 |
| 2016 Fall | Widen Elementary School | Student-Led Original Musical | Piloting an immersive cross-curricular arts process for 4th and 5th graders, resulting in an original student-created musical. | $10,532.00 |
| 2014 | Sadler Means Young Women's Leadership Academy & Garcia Young Men's Leadership Academy | Uniform Campaign | Funding for student uniforms for the inaugural classes of these single gender leadership academies, to help support a learning focused environment and build confidence for students. | $10,000.00 |
| 2020 Spring | Allison Elementary School | Space Center Houston Visit for 5th grade students | Funding for 5th grade students to take a field trip to the Space Center Houston where they will continue to learn about STEAM concepts and prepare them for middle and high school programs. | $5,100.00 |
| 2020 Spring | Blazier Elementary School | Kindergarten Play | Supporting kindergarten students as they build fine motor skills and learning through play. | $1,550.00 |
| 2020 Spring | Burnet Middle School | Mariachi Program boost | Jumpstart a middle school Mariachi program by providing funds for instruments and uniforms (trajes) that will help build culture across the school community. | $6,667.00 |
| 2020 Spring | Eastside Memorial High School | Native Garden PBL | Supporting an environmental science project-based learning (PBL) unit that increases biodiversity at school and culminates with students designing and building several native gardens across the campus. | $2,500.00 |
| 2020 Spring | Galindo Elementary School | SEL Mentor Texts for Dual Language 2nd Graders | Providing accessible, engaging, SEL and growth-mindset focused read aloud books in both English and Spanish to make SEL concepts more tangible for English Language Learners. | $475.00 |
| 2020 Spring | Galindo Elementary School | 5th Grade Galindo Grizzlies Reach for the Stars and Beyond at NASA | Providing an enriching learning experience for 5th grade students to visit the NASA Space Center in Houston that will support STEAM-based activities as they launch their Green and Global initiatives. | $5,700.00 |
| 2020 Spring | Jordan Elementary School | Public Art Murals at Barbara Jordan Elementary | Creating a public art space, in partnership with SprATX, for the entire school community to enjoy while increasing student access to potential careers in art. | $6,000.00 |
| 2020 Spring | Linder Elementary School | LINDER ROBOTICS Soaring to NEW HEIGHTS | Starting a robotics program that will provide students opportunities to problem-solve, think creatively, and compete as a team, while also creating a welcoming environment for new students who will be transitioning from campuses previously impacted by school closures. | $4,900.00 |
| 2020 Spring | Northeast High School | Autonomous Vehicles in Flint, Michigan! | Supporting a high school robotics team as they compete in Square One’s Autonomous Innovative Vehicle Design (AIVD) competition at Kettering University in Flint, Michigan. | $5,000.00 |
| 2020 Spring | Odom Elementary School | Off to College | Supporting AVID at an elementary campus by increase our students exposure to various college opportunities that exist in and out of the Austin Area, including a trip to UTSA. | $3,000.00 |
| 2020 Spring | Paredes Middle School | Closing the Gap through Music Education- UT Longhorn Music Camp Band Scholarship | Providing middle school students with an authentic post-secondary experience at the Longhorn Music Camp at the University of Texas in Austin, where they will experience the life of a college music student, performing alongside band students from across the state. | $3,475.00 |
| 2020 Spring | Sanchez Elementary School | Break the Summer Reading Slide | Supporting an elementary campus as they work to interrupt the "Summer Reading Slide" among K-2 students by providing book bags for each student to read over the summer months. | $2,500.00 |
| 2020 Spring | Travis Heights Elementary School | Crowe's Nest Farm Field Trip | Bringing science to life for elementary students by funding a trip to Crowe's Nest Farm where they will experience hands-on science with knowledgeable educators and engaging activities that cannot be accessed in the classroom. | $820.00 |
| 2020 Spring | Uphaus Early Childhood Center | And The Winner Is...! | Expanding the school library collection with recently published, award winning high-quality literature that is appealing, diverse, and inclusive for all students, staff, and families. | $450.00 |
| 2020 Spring | Wooten Elementary School | Falling in Love with STEM through Real World Experiences | Supporting real-world STEM learning with engaging experiences to LEGO Land in San Antonio and GattiTown in Austin. | $2,465.00 |